So far, 2020 has really been the story of the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels, two sides who have been yearning for a premiership for many a year now and currently find themselves 1st and 3rd respectively.

This has led to one side not receiving the recognition they deserve, the ever dominant Melbourne Storm.

As they have for the past couple of years, many punters wrote off the Storm’s premiership credentials in the preseason, but as always they are proving them wrong.

Melbourne currently sits 2nd on the NRL ladder with a record of 10 wins and two losses and are currently on a six-game winning streak, last losing to the 1st placed Penrith Panthers in round six.

Throughout the year they have beaten five sides who currently sit in the top eight.

This includes the Sydney Roosters, Canberra Raiders, Cronulla Sharks, South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Newcastle Knights twice.

Statistically they are also amongst the top teams in the league, currently sitting 5th in the NRL for tries with 50, and 2nd in goals with 54 plus a field goal sees them in 3rd for total points scored with 309.

Highlight reel.

Five minutes of feel good content for our fellow Melbournians 💜

— Melbourne Storm (@storm) August 2, 2020

Captain Cameron Smith has remained busy in attack, scoring a try, setting up 9 and getting 10 line-break assists.

Defensively he has been sound too. Making 449 tackles in 2020 so far for an efficiency rate of 93.2%.

Ryan Papenhuyzen certainly isn’t suffering from second season syndrome after scoring six tries and averaging 194.3 running metres per game this year.

Finally, Cameron Munster is in the form of his career and has made a case for man of the match in nearly every game he has played in so far.

The five-eighth has 5 try assists, 4 line break assists, made 222 tackles and is averaging 102.8 running metres per game.

A few standout players in a side full of stars that will undoubtedly be in the fight for the premiership in October.